Moodle for Students

Tips and instructions for students using Moodle in online and face-to-face courses at MLC.

Moodle Overview

Moodle is the learning management system (LMS) used at Martin Luther College. Graduate, Continuing Education, and other online students will utilize Moodle to access course content, submit assignments, communicate with classmates, view grades, and more. Moodle can also be used in undergraduate and face to face courses at the discretion of the instructor. 

MLC KnightHelp contains documents and instructions for the most commonly used features of Moodle. If you need additional help, please contact your course instructor first. If they are not able to solve the issue, please contact MLC IT Services at support@mlc-wels.edu.

 

Your Moodle Account

Your Moodle Account

Account Creation

A Moodle account is automatically created for everyone who enrolls at MLC. Account information will be sent to the email address you provided after your registration has been processed. Your Moodle username and password are the same as the username and password used for Portal. Please see the Getting Started page for more information.

Your Moodle Account

Updating Your Profile

Your Moodle Profile allows your classmates and instructors to know more about you. 

Accessing Your Profile Page

User Details

General
User (Profile) Picture

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Miscellaneous

Reports

Mobile App

 

 

Your Moodle Account

Setting Your Preferences

Setting your preferences allows you to control a variety of notification and viewing options. Changes made to your preferences will impact every course that you're enrolled in.

Accessing Your Preferences

User Account

Edit Profile
Change Password
Preferred Language
Forum Preferences
Editor Preferences
Course Preferences
Calendar Preferences
Message Preferences
Notification Preferences

Accessing Moodle

Accessing Moodle

Using a Computer

MLC's Moodle site is available from any device with an internet browser and internet connection. If you are using a mobile device (tablet or smartphone) you can access Moodle from the browser or from the Moodle App


Instructions

Accessing Moodle

Mobile Device

Moodle offers a mobile app that allows students to view course content and complete many course activities from a mobile device. The app is available from Google Play and the Apple Store.

Instructions

For additional help with the Moodle App, please see this FAQ page.

Navigation and Features

Navigation and Features

Moodle Dashboard

After logging into Moodle, the Dashboard is the first screen that you will see. The dashboard will show all the visible classes that you're currently enrolled in. The dashboard is also customizable so you can quickly access your current courses and other information.


Dashboard Overview

The following is based on the default view of the Dashboard and does not reflect any customizations you might have made.

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1. Top Left Toolbar
2. Top Right Toolbar
3. Customize This Page
4. Recently Accessed Courses
5. Course Overview
6. Latest News
7. Timeline
8. Upcoming Events

 

Customize Your Dashboard

Editing Existing Blocks
Adding New Blocks

Course Cards

The following is what a course card looks like if the Dashboard is set to show Cards. Similar features are available in the List or Summary views.

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  1. The name and department of the course. To view the full course name, choose the List or Summary views.
  2. Click here for options to Star or Hide the course. Starred and hidden courses can then be filtered.
  3. If course completion is enabled, this shows the percentage of course activities that you've completed.

 

Navigation and Features

Course Navigation

After you click on a course in your Moodle Dashboard, you will be taken to the course home page. The content of each course home page will vary depending on how your instructor has designed the course, but the following features are typical of each course.


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1. Moodle Toolbar: this toolbar remains the same on any Moodle page. Its features are described on the Moodle Dashboard page.

2. GradCapIcon.pngthe course short name will appear here. You can click here from any course page or activity to return to the course home page.

3. ParticipantsIcon.png: click here to view a list of your classmates and instructor for this course.

4. GradesIcon.png: click here to view your grades for this class. Visit the page on Checking Grades and Feedback for more information about this section.

5. FolderIcon.png: each section in the course will be listed here. Instructors often organize their courses by topic, lesson, or unit.

6. DashboardIcon.png: click here to go back to your Moodle Dashboard.

7. CalendarIcon.png: click here to view your Moodle Calendar.

8. GradCapIcon.pngthe rest of your current courses will appear here. Click the course short name to quickly switch between course pages.

9. Breadcrumbs: this list (referred to as Breadcrumbs because it shows your way home) appears at the top of every course page. Clicking the sections will bring you to that area of Moodle.

10. Course Information: this section typically contains overall course information like the syllabus and announcement forum. The content will vary for each course.

11. Course Sections: each course section contains the resources for that topic, lesson, or unit. Click the arrow to expand the section and see its contents. See the Common Moodle Tasks chapter for more information. 

13. Instructor Information: many online courses will have instructor information on the course page. Use this information if you need to contact your instructor.

14. Course Blocks: Additional course blocks will appear here depending on what the instructor has included in the course.

 

Navigation and Features

Communicating in Moodle

There are a variety of ways to communicate with your classmates and instructor in MLC courses. Please be sure to check the course syllabus to find your instructor's preferred method of communication.


Moodle Messenger

Email

Navigation and Features

Text Editor Features

Nearly every text box in Moodle has a wide variety of formatting and editing features. Use the icons in the toolbar to access these features.


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  1. Expands the toolbar to show the second row of icons.
  2. Changes the style of the text. These styles are predetermined by the Moodle administrator.
  3. Bold
  4. Italic
  5. Bulleted List
  6. Numbered List
  7. Insert Link
  8. Remove Link
  9. Add Image
  10. Add Media
  11. Record Audio
  12. Record Video
  13. Manage Embedded Files
  14.  Underline
  15. Strikethrough
  16. Subscript
  17. Superscript
  18. Text Color
  19. Font Type
  20. Size
  21. Left/Center/Right Justify
  22. Decrease/Increase Indent
  23. Equation Editor
  24. Insert Special Characters
  25. Insert Table
  26. Clear Formatting
  27. Undo/Redo
  28. Accessibility Checker
  29. Screenreader Helper
  30. HTML View
  31. Fullscreen View
Navigation and Features

Viewing Reports and Logs

If your instructor has enabled this feature, you can get detailed reports about your activity in a Moodle course.  Steps:

1.  Log in to Moodle.  Right from your Dashboard, before you enter the course, locate your User icon in the upper right corner.  Use the down-arrow to select your Profile.

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2. From your Profile page, locate your courses in the lower-left corner.  Select the course for which you wish to view reports.

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3.  Once the new page has loaded, look for the Reports pane, in the right-center pane.

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4. Selecting "Today's logs" will show you all of your activity for the day in a table format:

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5. Selecting "All logs" will show you the activities for the entire term.  (The view is identical to the one above, but with more data shown.)

6. Selecting "Outline report" will give you a snapshot of activity, organized according to the course organization.

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7. Selecting "Complete report"  will show ALL of the items in the course (including items that don't require attention, like labels) and what activity has taken place:

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8. You can also access your Gradebook, for any of your courses, from this page.

 

 

Navigation and Features

Accessing Your Course

To access your online courses in Moodle, you need to log in to the Moodle website by doing the following:

Instructions


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Common Moodle Tasks

Common Moodle Tasks

Downloading Course Content

Instructors often provide course content to students in the form of PDFs, Word Documents, or PowerPoint presentations that can be downloaded and viewed. Please use the following instructions to download course content.


Common Moodle Tasks

Participating in Discussion Forums

Discussion forums are often used by instructors to facilitate discussion about course topics or provide course announcements. Please read below to participate in a discussion forum.


Discussion Forum Overview

Posting in a Discussion Forum

Posting Audio/Video in a Discussion Forum

Replying in a Discussion Forum

Other Discussion Forum Options

Grades in Discussion Forums

Common Moodle Tasks

Replying to Q and A Forums

When instructors use a Q and A Forum, the process to reply to the forum prompt is slightly different. Please see the instructions below for how to post in this type of forum.

Instructions
Common Moodle Tasks

Submitting an Assignment

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Moodle assignments are a common way students submit files to instructors for grading. These files might include documents, slide presentations, videos, images, etc. The pink assignment icon assignmenticon.png indicates where the assignment should be turned in.


Adding a File

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Deleting a File

Follow these instructions to delete a file prior to submitting the assignment.

  1. Click on the thumbnail in the file submission area of the file that you want to delete.
  2. On the resulting window, click Delete near the upper left corner.
  3. Click OK on the confirmation screen.
  4. The file will disappear from the file submission area. Note that this only deletes the file from the file submission area, not from your computer.
  5. Follow steps #4-5 above to add the correct file to the assignment.

Editing a Submission

Follow these instructions to edit a file after submitting the assignment. Note that this option is only available if the instructor allows it for the assignment.

  1. Locate the name of the assignment you want to turn in and click either on the assignment name or the assignment icon.
  2. At the bottom of the screen, click Edit submission. Note that this button will only appear if the instructor allows this option for the assignment.
  3. This will bring you to the file submission area. Follow the steps for deleting a file. Then add a new file following the instructions above.

Deleting a Submission

Follow these instructions to delete a file after submitting the assignment. Note that this option is only available if the instructor allows it for the assignment.

  1. Locate the name of the assignment you want to turn in and click either on the assignment name or the assignment icon.
  2. At the bottom of the screen, click Remove submission. Note that this button will only appear if the instructor allows this option for the assignment.
  3. Click Continue on the confirmation screen to remove the submission. 
  4. Your instructor will see that you have previously submitted something, but will no longer be able to see what you previously submitted.
  5. Click Edit submission and use the file submission area to add a new file to the assignment.

Online Text Submission

Follow these instructions to submit online text for an assignment. Note that this option is only available if the instruction allows it for the assignment.

  1. Locate the name of the assignment you want to turn in and click either on the assignment name or the assignment icon.
  2. If online text submission is an option for the assignment, a textbox will be visible underneath the file submission area.
  3. Type your response in the textbox. Additional formatting options can be accessed by clicking the down arrow in the upper left corner of the textbox. Note that if your Moodle session times out (this happens after 2 hours of inactivity), your entry will not be saved. If your assignment will take longer than two hours, consider using another program to write your entry and then copy and paste the text into the online textbox.
  4. After you are done typing, click Save changes
  5. Your assignment has now been submitted. Your instructor will be notified that your assignment is complete and will be able to view the text you have turned in.

 


Possible Errors

Common Moodle Tasks

Checking Grades and Feedback

Common Moodle Tasks

Viewing Final Grades

After your instructor has submitted your final grade for a course, that grade can be viewed on Portal. You can also access grades from previous semesters through Portal.

Grade Report

  1. Visit portal.mlc-wels.edu and log in using your MLC username and password.
  2. Choose Grades from the top menu and click Grade Report.
  3. Your grades for the current semester will be displayed. Click on the blue semester heading to see grades from previous semesters.

Unofficial Transcript

  1. Visit portal.mlc-wels.edu and log in using your MLC username and password.
  2. Choose Grades from the top menu and click Unofficial Transcript.
  3. Your unofficial transcript for the courses you've taken at MLC will be displayed. Please see the MLC website for information on how to request an official transcript.

Grade Card

Grade cards are only issued for Continuing Education Courses. Grade cards are printable and can be used to provide proof of credit or clock hours for licensure or other certification purposes.

  1. Visit portal.mlc-wels.edu and log in using your MLC username and password.
  2. Choose Grades from the top menu and click Grade Card.
  3. The grade cards for the continuing education courses you've taken at MLC will be displayed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I see my course?

For online classes, the Moodle course is typically available a few days before the start of the semester. If you cannot find your Moodle course on your dashboard, there are several things to try.

 

If none of the above options are successful and your course has either already started or is scheduled to start in the next three days, please contact MLC for help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I get into Moodle?

If you are not able to get into Moodle, there are a number of possible reasons. Please read the sections below to troubleshoot the issue.

Local Connection Issues

MLC Connection Issues

 

If none of the above options describe your situation, please contact MLC for help.

Frequently Asked Questions

What email address does Moodle use?

Moodle notifications get sent to whatever email address is set in your Moodle profile. By default, that email address is set to your MLC email address. It is encouraged, especially for undergraduates, to keep the email address set to your MLC email address. However, if you would like notifications to be sent to a different email address, you can do so by editing your Moodle Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my instructor received my assignment?

Typically, instructors will use the Assignment M_Assignment_Icon.pngfeature if you're supposed to turn in a document. If you haven't submitted it yet, it will look like figure 1 below on your course page. Note that the due date will only appear if your instructor has set one.assignment2.png 

After you have submitted the assignment, your view will change to look like figure 2 below. The date in the green box reflects the date that you submitted the assignment. Your instructor will be able to see the date and time that your assignment was submitted. You can edit or resubmit your assignment (if the instructor allows) by clicking the assignment name again. The date will update to reflect the new submission. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check my grades?

Grades for individual assignments and activities can be viewed either within the assignment/activity itself, or from the grades screen. 

To view your grades from the grade screen:

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I reply to the discussion forum?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Google Docs?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a discussion forum and an assignment?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I contact my instructor?

Frequently Asked Questions

Who do I ask for Moodle help?

Need help navigating Moodle? Not sure how to turn in an assignment? See below for the different help resources that are available.

Self-Help

Help from Others

If you have questions regarding billing, course registration, or other topics outside of Moodle, please contact the MLC Graduate Studies and Continuing Education Office. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I fill out my course survey?

Graduate and undergraduate courses make use of Portal for feedback surveys. These surveys are used by MLC and individual faculty members to improve our programs and courses. You will receive a notification from your instructor, on your Moodle course page, or on Portal if you have a survey to fill out. 

Instructions
Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do if the area to turn in my Google assignment on Moodle is too tiny to click?

Sometimes Google assignments in Moodle have formatting issues resulting in the box where you need to click to attach your assignment being too tiny to click. To fix this issue, try zooming out in your browser. Instructions are linked below for the most popular browsers, although Google assignments works best in Chrome.